Stormtrooper Corps
The Imperial Stormtrooper Corps is a branch of the Imperial Military operating alongside the Imperial Army, Imperial Navy, and Imperial Intelligence, though it operates independently of all of those other branches. Like the Emperor's Royal Guard, it is under the direct control of the Emperor or Regent of the Empire, and is commanded by Stormtrooper Command. Members of the Corps are chosen for their dedication, bravery, and intelligence, becoming indoctrinated in the tenets of the New Order and becoming graduates of difficult and prestigious military academies such as the Academy of Carida. Others are specially-trained clones. The Stormtrooper Corps is the successor of the Grand Army of the Republic of the Galactic Republic. During the time of the Republic, clone shock troopers were already being referred to as "stormtroopers," and the usage was passed on to several other high-ranking clone units, notably the 501st Legion, immediately after the Declaration of a New Order. For approximately ten years after the birth of the New Order, the Empire's elite Stormtrooper Corps remained as the exclusive province of Jango Fett's clone progeny, but after the "unofficial" events of the Battle of Kamino during 12 BBY, in which a special detachment of the Imperial 501st was required to annihilate an army of rogue clones (referred to as Anti-troopers), the ranks of the stormtroopers would start including new clones from different genetic templates and even non-clone recruits/conscripts. By the time the first Death Star was complete, the Fett clones had become a minority in the very army they once filled as a whole. =Recruitment= After the failed uprising on Kamino in 12 BBY, Emperor Palpatine came to the conclusion that an army of clone soldiers was far too susceptible to corruption. Thus, he expanded the Stormtrooper Corps to include clones that were created from a variety of genetic templates, effectively marginalizing Jango Fett's progeny into a minority status. In addition to the massive influx of new clone sources, the Corps began recruiting real Human beings to serve in the ranks as enlisted stormtroopers. If a man between the ages of 18 and 30 scored in the top fifth percentile, an Imperial recruiting agent would contact him and presumably arrange for the extraction of a DNA sampling for cloning. Men who did not score high enough to qualify as a genetic template were still used as regular soldiers. Also, it was preferable if enlisted troopers met a certain standard in height and weight. For a time, the Stormtrooper Corps remained evenly balanced between clones and recruits, at least until the onset of the Imperial Civil War, which occurred alongside the ongoing Galactic Civil War. Due to the loss of Kamino and its cloning facilities, as well as many other cloning centers throughout the galaxy, clone stormtroopers became a rare commodity that the Empire could no longer afford to sustain. As the Galactic Empire's unity became undermined by various splinter cell factions, a few successor states opted to vastly reform the Imperial recruiting policy. Unlike the old Empire, the Empire of the Hand recruited stormtroopers from a variety of Humanoid sources. Though the stormtrooper ranks remained consistently dominated by Human male recruits, it marked the first time that Non-Humans were allowed to serve as Imperial soldiers. Following the reign of Emperor Damascus and the rise of Grand Admiral Thrawn as regent, recruiting policies for the Stormtrooper Corps officially opened to allow women and non-Humans to join - which was also secretly encouraged by Oremin. Currently both groups are a small, but growing, minority within the corps. =Ideology= In addition to their role as elite military soldiers of the Galactic Empire, the Imperial stormtroopers are the most visible symbol of the Imperial war machine. They are highly trained shock troopers, unwaveringly dedicated to enforcing Imperial power through any means necessary. Whether on the ground or in space, their purpose is to attack with speed, accuracy, and overwhelming numbers whenever so ordered by Imperial High Command. Loyalty, obedience, and the readiness to die for the cause are the primary traits that are indoctrinated into all stormtroopers. In their capacity as enforcers of the Empire, stormtroopers are also trained to completely support and uphold the ideals of the New Order. Every individual trooper is fully expected to obey their superior officers without question or hesitance, regardless if they are required to unleash harm on others or even place themselves in extreme danger. As a result of their militaristic and highly disciplined nature, stormtroopers are well aware of their expendable status and they were ready to lay down their lives to ensure the continuance of the Empire. Clone stormtroopers were genetically modified to suppress their individuality with unquestioning loyalty while enlisted stormtroopers are rigorously trained to abandon their individual identities by embracing said loyalty to the Empire. The loyalty that stormtroopers have is so complete that they can be neither bribed, seduced, or blackmailed to abandon their allegiance to the Empire or its sovereign. =Organization= Although stormtroopers often work alongside the Imperial Army, Intelligence and Navy, the Stormtrooper Corps operate independently of all branches of the Imperial Military. Hence, the Corps has its own command structure, ranking system, and support facilities. The basic unit of organization is the individual trooper. Each stormtrooper is assigned a designation for tactical purposes and to reinforce the Imperial ethic of uniformity. Troopers are organized into squads, platoons, companies, battalions, regiments and legions. A company commander can give command to regular officers over any given squad or platoon. A single battalion consists of 820 soldiers, whereas a battalion of the Republic clone troopers comprised only 576 clones. This disparity of numbers also seperates it from the system used by the Imperial Army. In addition Scout Troopers have their own unique organizational system that differs from other stormtrooper units. *'Squad' - Each squad normally consists of eight troopers and is commanded by a sergeant, for a total of nine stormtrooper per squad. However, this number is flexible if the mission calls for it and squads as small as four units are not uncommon. *'Platoon' - Platoons are where the Stormtrooper Corps system first begins to differ significantly from the one used by the Imperial Army. Each stormtrooper platoon consists of five squads for a total of 45 troopers. Platoons are commanded by a lieutenant who isn't counted among the number of troops. *'Company' - A standard stormtrooper company consists of five platoons for 225 troops. Companies are commanded by a captain who isn't counted among the number of troops; he is assisted by the platoon lieutenants. *'Battalion' - Stormtrooper battalions can differ depending on if they're a regular unit or attached to a garrison force. Regular battalions are commanded by a Major and comprised of 820 troopers, which breaks down to three regular sized companies and a smaller company of 145 troopers which are a mix of specialists (such as heavy weapons or grenadiers). Garrison battalions are an even 800 regular troops, with all command decisions being decided by the garrison staff. *'Regiment' - Regiments are comprised of four battalions for a total of 3,280 troopers and, unlike the Imperial Army, have no support personnel. Companies are commanded by a colonel who isn't counted among the number of troops. *'Legion' - The largest formation within the Stormtrooper Corps, a legion is comparable to an Imperial Army battlegroup in size. They are comprised of four regiments for a total of 13,120 troops. Legions are commanded by a general who isn't counted among the number of troops. =Notable Divisions= *'501st Legion' - Considered to be the finest Stormtrooper unit in the Empire; also known as "Vader's Fist". =Stormtrooper Units= *'Stormtrooper' - The elite soldiers of the Imperial Military and one of the most visible symbols of Imperial might. **'Stormtrooper Commander' - Superior soldiers based upon the ARC Troopers of the Galactic Empire. **'Novatrooper' - Stormtrooper honor guards, equipped with distinctive black and gold armor, used as commandos for special assignments. **'ISB Stormtrooper' - Stormtroopers under the direct command of the Imperial Security Bureau, sometimes used as spies within the Stormtrooper Corps. Specialized Combat *'Shock Trooper' - Elite stormtroopers equipped and trained as heavy weapons specialists. **'Imperial Elite Guard' - An elite honor guard, composed of shock troopers, tasked with protecting the leading government officials of the Empire. **'Imperial Marine' - Shock troopers trained for boarding operations. *'Heavy Trooper' - Stormtroopers trained in close-range combat. *'Jumptrooper' - Stormtroopers trained for airborne combat. *'Riot Trooper' - Stormtroopers who specialize in combating insurrectionists and uprisings. *'Scout Trooper' - Light-armored stormtrooper variants, trained as reconnaissance troopers, spies, and survivalists. *'Storm Commando' - An elite special forces unit within the Stormtrooper Corps. *'Terror Trooper' - A secret class of elite soldiers primarily trained for infiltration and assassination. Specialized Environment *'Hazard Trooper' - Stormtroopers equipped with armor that is impervious to extreme temperatures, acidic damage, and small-arms fire. *'Radtrooper' - An elite stormtrooper variant, equipped to operate in deadly radiation-filled environments. *'Sandtrooper' - Stormtroopers who operate in desert terrain environments. *'Seatrooper' - Stormtroopers trained for aquatic combat. *'Snowtrooper' - Stormtroopers equipped with specialized armor suited to cold terrain environments. *'Spacetrooper' - Stormtroopers equipped and trained to operate in outer space. *'Swamptrooper' - A variant Scout Trooper unit that operates in marshy environments. =Sources= *Wookieepedia, Twice Category:Imperial Organizations